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Support and resources for black students are offered at board meeting

cassandra reichelt
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Support and resources for black students are offered at board meeting

During a meeting covering processes, budgets, and reports, LBCC maintained a focus on people.

LBCC board of trustees, students, faculty, staff, and members of the community attended the monthly board of trustees meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 5:30 p.m. in the T-1100, board room at LAC.

Board president, Sunny Zia, called the four hour meeting to order to a group of around 70 people.

Vice President of Student Support Services, Mike Munoz lead a nine person panel that delivered a 97 slide presentation on an update of supports & resources for African-American/black students.

The presentation was broken down into four blocks: pre-boarding & community engagement; student enrollment & on-boarding; moving through LBCC: academic & co-curricular supports; and transfer & completion.

According to the presentation, numbers were mixed on enrollment and matriculation, seeing some small increases; African-American/black students have a higher proportion of low GPAs.

Supports such as comprehensive educational plans and the Umoja Learning Community increased success rates across the board for African-American students.

Dean of Language Arts and communication Lee Douglas covered the section on cultural equity.

“There is still a lot of work to be done with regard to our African-American faculty representation here at Long Beach City College,” Douglas said.

According to the presentation, the African-American student body represents 14% of LBCC students, while LBCC faculty is only 8% African-American.

“I am embarrassed,” area two trustee, Vivian Malauulu said, referring to the percentage of African-American faculty at LBCC.

Dean of Language Arts and communication Lee Douglas discusses cultural equity at the LBCC board of trustees meeting on Feb. 27. Photo by Melanie Gerner.

The board presented a resolution in recognition of black history month and encouraged future events and support of the African-American community, before moving forward with meeting agenda items.

During the human resources portion of the agenda, the board recommended Math Success Center Coordinator, Sundee Dominguez for California Community Colleges Classified Employee of the year.

Dominguez was nominated by her colleagues for professionalism and demonstrating the highest level of a Vision for Success, the California Community Colleges mission.

After administrative services gave an update report, the board voted to present an action at the March meeting, regarding a pilot program for per ride bus passes; in hopes the program will reach more students who need help with transportation.

Bus pass advocate, LBCC student and parent Rene Woodson went to the podium to share her opinion about the bus pass issue with the board.

“I have watched my godson over at Cal State Long Beach pay five dollars, where my son and other students here have had to jump through hoops to try and get it,” Woodson said.

Just before the meeting adjourned, the board heard a statement from political science major, Aba Dabrim Carter, regarding self advocacy of financial aid.

Doug Otto arrived late and left before the report on board travel expenses could be delivered by the individual members.

The next LBCC board of trustees meeting will be on March 27 at 5:30 p.m. in T-1100 at LAC.

Former Viking passes away due to head-on collision

steven matthews
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Former Viking passes away due to head-on collision

Correction – A previous version of this article misspelled the names of two professors, Pat McKean and Nancy Redmond. The article also misspelled the name of the Viking paper.

Former Viking Newspaper Editor in Chief, Sean Belk, 36, died on Jan. 11, from a head-on collision.

Belk attended Long Beach City College from 2003-2005.

Although, his time at LBCC was short, he left a legacy that would transcend generations.

Like many, Belk entered LBCC without the slightest idea of what he was going to do with his life.

After spotting his natural talent and ability to place together words, Nancy Redmond, Belk’s former professor at LBCC, urged him to pursue a career in journalism.

Under the mentorship of Pat Mckean, a former Viking Newspaper advisor, Belk flourished as a writer, reporter, and all-around journalist.

During his time on the Viking, Belk had proved himself to be an award winning student, whose work was recognized from renowned organizations such as the Journalism Association of Community Colleges.

Belk and Mckean kept in consistent contact with one another throughout the years.

Mckean described Belk as a student who was friendly, always willing to help, and showed great promise as a journalist.

On the newspaper, Belk also formed an eternal friendship with fellow Viking staff writer and professional journalist, Kirt Ramirez.

“Sean took journalism very seriously, he would be up all night working on his stories. He worked really hard and was a very good writer,” said Ramirez.

“He loved everyone and everyone liked him, which is very uncommon with people.”

Belk received his Associate of Arts Degree in Journalism from LBCC in 2005, and matriculated to California State University, Fullerton where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications in 2009.

Belk transitioned into working for major newspapers in the Long Beach area such as the Long Beach Business Journal, Press-Telegram, Signal Tribune, and the Long Beach Beachcomber.

Jay Beeler, publisher at the Long Beach Beachcomber, recounted Belk as being a journalist who had a good sense of what news was.

As Beeler would explain it, as a professional journalist, Belk was organized, always on target, an outstanding writer, and always took the initiative to do stories.

“Sean was a pretty unique individual. When he passed, the people he interviewed, from the Mayor of Long Beach, to PR people, to Long Beach locals, called to pay their respects.” said Beeler.

Journalism was not Belk’s only forte, he was a multifaceted musician and had a passionate love for the ocean.

Loved ones and relatives of Belk can all attest to his impactful acts of kindness.

On Dec. 26, 2018 Belk expressed on his Facebook profile, “Found a man’s wallet outside of 7-11 on the ground today with a wad of cash inside. I turned it into the clerk. The clerk told me later he was very glad to get it back because it had his entire rent money. Good deed done for today…”

This single act of goodwill and numerous other accounts is the reason why many commenters on his Facebook profile, including Don Belk, who said Belk had a “heart of gold” and touched lives.

Ramirez strongly believed Belk served as an inspiration and positive influence.

“Sean’s father was a boater. I’ll never forget when he took me along with his family to Catalina Island in 2006. It was my first time. Now, whenever I see Catalina, I think of Sean.” Ramirez said.

Belk’s memorial took place on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019, the day after his birthday.

It was an intimate gathering with Belk’s close friends and family, who all took the time to share their moving memories of Belk.

They then gathered on a boat, set sail, and scattered Belk’s ashes into the Long Beach Harbor.

“We will all miss Sean.” said Beeler.

Paramedics called for a man having seizure like symptoms at LAC

abel reyes
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Paramedics called for a man having seizure like symptoms at LAC

At 3:55 p.m. on Wednesday, paramedics and firemen responded to reports of a man experiencing seizure like symptoms in the courtyard on the north side of building T at LAC.

The firemen arrived on the scene first and were able to stabilize the man and when the paramedics arrived they quickly ushered him into the ambulance and headed to a nearby medical facility.

A small crowd of students gathered around to witness the proceedings.

According to Joshua Tanpinco, a student at LBCC, “He just started having a seizure and fell down,” said Tanpinco.

“There were two girls helping him at first, but I don’t know what happened to them.”

Alyssa Pyle, another student at LBCC, also saw what happened.

“He just yelled something, and fell down and started seizing up,” Pyle said.

A call to Lt. Omar Martinez, head of public safety at LBCC, was made for comment but was not immediately returned.

Vikings win 1st round playoff home game against Santiago Canyon

abel reyes
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Vikings win 1st round playoff home game against Santiago Canyon

Freshman guard Jace Bass hit a triple double which lead the Vikings to a 78-70 victory win over visiting team Santiago Canyon as they played their first playoff game on March 1.

Vikings were down at the half by 10 points with a score of 42-32.

The Vikings were waiting for this playoff game from the start and prepared all season.

“This is what we’ve been playing for all season long, we’re very excited and ready to go” said assistant coach Carl Robinson.

Santiago Canyon came out with intensity at the first half and was unexpected by the Vikings.

Forward Matthew Wooten was surprised on how Santiago Canyon came out to play.

Forward Matthew Wooten going up for the open dunk against Santiago Canyon on March 1.

“We went into the game thinking we would just beat them easily but instead they came out with some intensity that we weren’t ready for” said Wooten.

Wooten ended with six points and three rebounds.

Vikings got out rebounded in the first half having a total only of 12 rebounds throughout the entire half.

“We didn’t want this to be our last game, we knew we had to step up our defense and get those rebounds” said head coach Barry Barnes.

Vikings came out the second half pushing their defense and ending with 27 total rebounds.

Being down at the half, score leader for Long Beach, Jace Bass never lost hope and knew there was plenty of time to catch up.

“I knew we still had time to come out and get things together, in order for us to get the win” said Bass

Bass ended with a total of 28 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals.

The last few minutes of the game the crowd was on their feet showing support for their home team and giving them the confidence.

“Having a big crowd like we did and them being supportive is what we needed, they were great & we sparked harder off their energy” added Bass

Not only did the team spark off the crowds energy, but also making head coach feel the energy.

“We were waiting for the crowd to be involved from start, but having such a supportive crowd of what gave us confidence” added Barnes.

Vikings move on to next round and will have their next game on Saturday March 9 at Citrus.

Security system at LBCC might need a know-how

abel reyes
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Blue light emergency systems are seen all around campus as tall blue poles or silver boxes, but not many students are aware of the purpose or even how to use the system.

LBCC has important safety policies and systems in place, a lack of communication is one of them.

According to Lt. Omar Martinez, a key system that LBCC students need to be educated on is the blue light system.

“I think it creates a sense of security, the thing of the blue light is that you don’t need to dial anything you can just press the button and get help,” Martinez said.

LBCC student, Timothy Spano was unaware of what the blue lights were and how they should be used.

“If somebody’s in danger they are not going to know to look for the blue thing,” Spano said.

The blue light system in front of Building P at LAC stands alone, yet students do not look twice at the tall pole with a call button.

A brief survey was done with a pool of 18 students, asking if they knew about the system and if they knew how to use it.

According to our survey of the 18 people, 11 people knew of the system and how to use it and seven people didn’t.

Martinez explained how LBCC recently switched from using blackboard to regroup mass notification in order to send emails and text messages.

The alert system is used for giving students and staff updates on crime and theft but is rarely used since alerts are only sent for major crime.

To start with, LBCC police is working on posting on their Twitter and Instagram account with updates on the school and its safety.

Martinez explained how he wants to add LBCC’s emblem and the police badge onto emergency alert emails to catch the eye of students and display its importance.

Gabriella Morales, an LBCC student, is aware of what the blue lights are and how they work.

“I’ve never felt threatened on campus but if I were to, I think they would make me feel safer,” Morales said.

Martinez touched on how the police department have been posting informative videos on safety and security to their Twitter accounts, and hopes to create an updated video on what LBCC’s police role is on campus.

Opinions: Voices on The Viking comments section

fernando pacheco
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Opinions: Voices on The Viking comments section

Correction: A previous version of this story didn’t have any photos and has since been updated.

Here’s what our readers are saying about our stories on our Facebook page.

Fistfight on campus

A fistfight occurred near the library building on Feb. 25. The Viking published photos on social media. One of the fights lost his shoes during the melee, which sparked comments. Here’s what you had to say on social media.

Bill proposed to allow homeless student to sleep overnight in their cars

Governor Newsom gives speech for affordable housing at LBCC Feb. 19, 2019.

A new bill in consideration at the state assembly would allow enrolled students to sleep in their vehicles in the parking lots overnight. Here’s what some people had to say on social media.

Governor Newsom visits LBCC campus

Parking Lot M at LBCC LAC on Febuary 19, 2019.

Newley elected California Governor Gavin Newsom visited LBCC to hold a conference with selected mayors of California cities to discus compliances with the state’s affordable housing laws. Below is what some of our readers had to say about it on social media.

If you are interested in seeing more comments or want to express yours voice, follow us on social media.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LBCCVikingNews

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/lbccvikingnews/

Quit smoking workshop went unattended

andrea ramos
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Quit smoking workshop went unattended

With lack of promotion the “Are You Ready To Quit Smoking?” cessation workshop was held at PCC and LAC in which no students attended.

This event is a resourceful program meant to help people seeking aid in quitting smoking cigarettes.

During the event, students were given helpful information and resources to help them quit smoking.

The meeting was filled with helpful brochures, tips, and things such as mental health hotlines and gum to help ease the transition of quitting for some.

According to Cynthia Shaheen, a nurse at LBCC, no students showed up to the event on both days.

Shaheen has invested a lot of time and her own personal money into the program on things such as custom pedometers, inspirational CD’s, and many small knick knacks with the slogan “Smoke Free Viking” plastered among them.

According to Jamie Kammerman, a student activities advisor at the office of student life on LAC, it seems as though heavily promoting an event is the best way to receive the best result.

“The smoking event is not ours but we have an online software program platform called NordicSync that we usually push all of our events there and on our social media,” Kammerman said.

“We submit to the communications department so that it goes out into the weekly loop email as well as the digital screens out on Carson Street.”

LBCC student Matthew Turck, explains his thoughts why he didn’t consider attending,

“I don’t show up to a lot of campus events anyway, I’m older and I’ve been smoking for a long time so I kind of have my own mindset on it,” Turck said.

“It’s hard to get people to show up to that kind of thing, even if they want to quit. It’s hard to take that step to quit, in public.”

“A lot of people have the mindset of ‘I’m here to learn about others things, I don’t need them to tell me how to live my life. I don’t get so mad about it, but some people do.”

Future events will happen on March 19 at LAC and March 20 at PCC.

Board Editorial: Homeless sleeping bill a good start

fernando pacheco
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Board Editorial: Homeless sleeping bill a good start

Bill AB-302, a bill that would allow homeless students to sleep in their cars overnight on campus, is still in committee at the state level and even though it has not passed yet, it has already sparked a debate on campus.

If it passes, it will have an immediate and positive impact for the school and its students upon implementation.

Students that are homeless face many difficulties in their day to day lives that make it challenging to be successful when facing a difficult school curriculum.

For one, when a student doesn’t have a steady place to sleep, they’re faced with tough decisions on where to sleep, and how safe it might be.

In addition to that, without consistent access to a restroom,or bathing facilities, those students also have to deal with issues of sanitation.

With AB-302, those problems that our enrolled homeless students face could be alleviated enough for them to focus properly on their studies.

As long as the state assembly is diligent in providing the necessary funds for the upgrades and manpower that is needed to ensure the safety and sanitation needs of the students, our school should have no problem providing the necessary amenities.

For example, we have a large parking lot that is underutilized near Veterans stadium that would be perfect for our homeless students to park overnight.

Concerning safety, that area is relatively secure with controlled entrances and exits, and it’s near Public Safety.

Personal hygiene is an issue that was already addressed in 2016 with AB-1995, a law that stipulates that homeless students have access to shower facilities.

With LBCC, the policy for the school is that any student that needs a shower can go use the shower facilities on campus, as long as it’s within operational hours.

According to Stacy Toda, the associate director of public relations for LBCC, those hours are from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the men and women’s locker rooms at LAC, or from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday, 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesday and Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday at the Fitness Center at PCC.

The bottom line is, if the law passes, LBCC has the space and facilities to implement it rather easily, and upon that, students who may feel left behind because of their homeless status will have the tools to help themselves achieve the level of normalcy needed in that aspect of their lives, so they can dedicate the time needed for their studies.

CTE career connection day hosted at LBCC

dylan keith
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CTE career connection day hosted at LBCC

Career Technical Education Programs gathered at LAC for CTE Career Connection Day on Feb. 27.

The event started at 11 a.m and ended at 1 p.m. at the E quad, up to 11 programs showed up.

“The event is to celebrate CTE programs, we have programs from welding, Automotive, to culinary arts, child development, and fashion,” said Katie Sundara the CTE coordinator.

Chantel Bryant an assistant professor, is representing the fashion and merchandising program where students can get a certificate for fashion designing.

Christian Perez is taking a look at the Automotive Technology where They’ll have new certificates and programs available in Fall 2019. They’re at CTE careeer connection day at E quad on February 27, 2019.

Scott Bizado is a radio and television student, and is representing the program where students can learn how to get involved into television and radio production.

Eboni Thornton is a student, attended the event, said, “So far like it’s going pretty good. I went to the student services club and they have like a lot of information and got a flyer from them. I thought about psychology but i want to decide before the end of spring break so far the events are helpful.”

Danny Tan is a automotive instructor representing the automotive technology program at PCC where they prepare students for employment in the automotive industry.

Ana Rivera is representing the computer and office studies department where they offer students skills in database management, and web development.

Christian Perez a student attending the event, said, “It’s pretty nice I have the chance to see what’s going on what we have on campus and see works that they have.”

Ebony Thorton is looking at the radio and television program at the CTE Career connection day at LBCC LAC.

The culinary arts department were giving out cookies at their booth, and showing students where they can learn how to cook and how to prepare for the restaurant business.

“To be a culinary chef, you don’t necessarily have to get a 4 year degree, but maybe take some classes and get a certification and you can start working in maybe a year so that’s what the impact on student is. Is to give the skills to get a job right off the bat,” said Sundara.

Students attended the event got to learn what programs are available on campus and see what career is best for them.

California Dream Act application deadline is coming March 2

cassandra reichelt
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The California Dream Act application deadline is fast approaching but LBCC is prepared to help undocumented students apply in a brand new DREAM services center where they can also receive peer support, scholarship resources, and AB 540 Affidavit services.

The deadline to apply for the California Dream Act is March 2.

Located in building A at LAC and building AA at PCC, each welcome center now has a dedicated space for DREAM services that provide aid to undocumented students, otherwise known as ‘dreamers’.

LBCC is one of 32 California college campuses to receive funding through the catalyst grant which provides up to $125,000 and technical support to chosen campuses.

Counselor Jose Gutierrez explained during a DREAM Services workshop at PCC.

“One of the benefits of having received the catalyst grant is that the initiatives circle around supporting undocumented students,” Gutierrez said.

With the grant, Gutierrez has been able to hire three new support staff and create spaces with resources that dreamers are able to receive help from.

“Our center is open to new students, current students and even students who have already transferred, to serve as an essential space for them to come in and get the support that they need,” Gutierrez said.

Along with their high school or college transcripts, dreamers enrolling in college have a few more steps to go through, including an Affidavit, residence questionnaire and the California Dream Act form which serves as financial aid for dreamers.

“It’s important to recognize that the challenges vary with each case,” said Student Success Coach Giovanni Bautista.

Though the Dream Act has yet to be passed federally, California became one of 15 states with their own version of the legislation when Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Dream Act in 2011.

According to Gutierrez, LBCC is home to about 1,000 undocumented students between the two campuses.

“The most marginalized students are those without resources,” said Johnathan Solorzano during the DREAM services workshop.

“We want to minimize the back and forth,” said Gutierrez, “the premise is to support students.”

Students looking for support or aid with any of their documents may head to the Welcome Center on either LBCC campus.

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